KNOWLEDGE BASE

Beaver and willow struggle in areas with heavy elk browsing. This study explored how simulated beaver cutting affects willow growth with and without elk browsing. Without elk browsing, the recovering willow was larger and healthier, and recovered faster. This suggests elk browsing affects beaver food and could limit populations of both beaver and willow. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

This article reports on a study of the parasitic worms found in a beaver killed in a car accident in Croatia. 28 worms were found, all of the same species. This is the first time that this species had been recorded in Croatia, suggesting that it was introduced when the beavers were re-introduced from Germany. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

A female beaver from a zoo in the Republic of Korea was found to have overgrown teeth from improper feeding. She was treated with a procedure called odontoplasty, which involves trimming the teeth. The procedure was done under anesthesia and the beaver recovered well and could eat normally afterwards. The text notes that this procedure should not be repeated regularly as it resulted from poor care practices rather than a natural abnormality in the beaver. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Scientists studied tiny organisms called arcellaceans in sediment cores from two lakes in Ontario. They found that, after the last Ice Age, plants started growing in the area. Beavers moved into the lakes periodically, affecting water levels and algae growth. When beavers built dams, it caused stagnant water and algae blooms, but when they left, water flow increased, reducing algae and helping the forest grow again.

The text explores how river ecosystems comprise ever-changing mosaics of habitat across the flood plain. The authors call this the 'shifting habitat mosaic.' Beaver dams are cited as one of the forces driving these ecosystems and their changes over time.